This measure will identify and recover Medicare benefits that were incorrectly claimed by health practitioners for services to public patients in public hospitals.

Description of the measure

Services to patients who attend emergency departments of public hospitals are funded by the Australian Government through an arrangement with the states and territories. When these services are also billed to Medicare, health practitioners are 'double dipping'.

The measure is limited to inappropriate billing of diagnostic imaging and pathology services to
non-admitted emergency patients in public hospitals.

This measure began on 1 July 2012 and ends on 30 June 2016. It is being announced in the
2013-14 Budget.